I Don't Know Them
by Dracis Tran
Summary: Some people made it through the Nightmare... and some the Nightmare took away. Two particular people, however... they were something in between. Post-series. One-shot.


I don't know them, but I think they know me.

I know, I sound crazy. And it really doesn't matter; the three of them are just very nice people. But they know me. It's a feeling I can't shake... to the point that I must share with you.

Cyberiada, the cafe where I work, is the place that I see them most often, though occasionally I'll catch a glimpse or two at school. Satsuki-sempai works there with me. His two friends, Minase-sempai and Kusakabe-sempai will come by at some point during most of his shifts. When we're working at the same time, they all say hi to me by name – even though I don't remember actually telling them my name, much less what I wanted them to call me. They just knew.

I let Satsuki-sempai converse with his friends for some of his shift – particularly if we're not too swamped at the time. He generally knows when we can afford to be socializing with friends just like I do. No, I don't make exceptions for you! Shush, I'm trying to tell you something, alright? When they're talking to each other, sometimes I get the feeling that they're watching me. Not in the creepy "somebody's watching me shivers" that you get when walking alone at night. No... like in the watching _over _me kind of way. I've caught all three of them smiling at me from time to time.

Hey, what's so funny about that? C'mon, Takahisa-sempai! I'm trying to be serious here!

You don't think you've seen them? Alright, turn around and look at the three people eating lunch by the fountain. That's who they are. Satsuki-sempai's the one with the eyepatch, and the older girl is Kusakabe-sempai. What? Why do you look so shocked?

Oh, so you feel like they know you too, right? I knew it. Then I have to be right; they _do_ know us. Now... why don't we know them?

Of _course_ we haven't gone over and asked them yet. I mean, isn't it kind of... strange trying to essentially introduce yourself over again to someone who obviously knows you? Satsuki-sempai even asks me after you sometimes. What? Oh, things like how your relationship with Saeko-sensei is, how much trouble you've been in lately... the types of things that screams that they know that we're... you know...

So it's clear that they know _us_, but we don't know _them_. So why do they know us? How? I didn't really end up telling them much beyond what we've been up to these past few weeks.

Of course _you_ didn't tell them anything. I doubt Saeko-sensei would tell someone like that all about us either. And it feels like... I dunno how to put this. It's not the way we look at each other, or the way you look at Saeko-sensei. More like Saeko-sensei and I look at each other. Like... like they really care about us. Even though before a few weeks ago, I wouldn't have known them from Adam.

It's not creepy! Really! I find it reassuring! You know that I haven't had very many friends around here. I know that you haven't either. Wouldn't you like to have a few more friends?

Well, no, I don't know if they might have anything untoward planned to us. If they did, don't you think they would have tried to do something like befriend us? They seem to be leaving us alone a bit. I mean, I have to interact with Satsuki-sempai at the cafe, but I don't really talk to him much otherwise. I barely talk to the others at all.

Well maybe you should talk to them. It might give us a little more insight into their... reasons. I mean, I find that I'm completely curious about their lives now. I think I'm gonna talk to Satsuki-sempai the next time we share shifts about it.

Hehe... I knew that would get him to walk over there. Shuffling across the concrete with his left hand in his pocket. He tries to look so unkempt but he does it the same way every time. It ruins the image if you know what image he's going to go for. It's almost like that's his uniform, rather than the red jacket that he wears open.

The three of them seem surprised but... but happy to have him come over and talk to them. I can't tell what they're talking about from here, but all three of them are smiling at Takahisa-sempai. Not forced, either. They're... nice smiles. Kusakabe-sempai's smile is subdued but warm. Minase-sempai smiles with abandon... it's not surprising that she's already laughing at something Takahisa-sempai said. Probably not what he wanted to be funny, though, as he seems a little flustered with her reaction. Should I go save him? No... not yet. He'd probably bolt.

Satsuki-sempai's smile is interesting because his eyepatch makes his face look lopsided. It's endearing though. I can't see Takahisa-sempai's smile right now, but I could draw it on a piece of paper that's in my bag here if I needed to. I know it by heart by now. Minase-sempai is looking over here at me. I should give her a smile too. I... don't really know what my smile looks like, though. I wonder if I should fix that.

Once Minase-sempai points me out to Satsuki-sempai, there's no stopping Kusakabe-sempai or Satsuki-sempai from looking over here and noticing me. I give them a wave. That appears to be not enough, because they're waving me over there. Takahisa-sempai is giving me a 'save me' look too, so I guess I should go over there and join them.

I wonder what I will find over there? Will I find people who have been watching over me? Will I find my Guardian Angel... and perhaps Takahisa-sempai's or Saeko-sensei's? Or all three? Will I find someone I can trust? But most importantly...

Will I find a friend? Or three?

I hope so. And it is to this hope I place my bet on, for I knew from their smile. These people are my friends.

I just don't know them.


End file.
